Xshell Forum

Algorithm for saving key password in session file

Last post: Friday, January 22, 2016 2:48 AM by Support, 7 reply

Friday, November 6, 2015 2:19 PM - Gerard

Algorithm for saving key password in session file

Hi,

I'm using Xshell on multiple computers, and in order to keep my sessions synced I'm moving my session files between computers automatically (using bitsync, but same thing if you would use dropbox for example)

In Xshell 4 there was no problem with that. In xshell 5, hovewer, saved passwords are recognized only on computer they were created on. On another computer they appear empty when I view them in session details.

I'm speaking about these:

Passphrase=lkjlkfsjfljsdflkjsldfjsldfjslkdjflksjdflsjdflskjdflk
and
ExpectSend_Send_1=askljdlajsdlkajsdlkajdslkajdlkjaldkjalkdsjlkajsd

How they are created? Is there any way to unify the way they are created on two different computers so the session files become compatible?
I tried changing MagicCode in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\NetSarang\Xshell\5 and in HKCU in simmilar path but no luck

Program Ver. : Xshell 5

Monday, November 9, 2015 6:25 PM - Support

Re: Algorithm for saving key password in session file

Hi Gerard,

You can set a Master Pasword for your sessions and that should resolve your issue.

Re: Algorithm for saving key password in session file

Is that an only way to unify that password hash?

Settings master password seems to brake my old sessions created in xshell 4, which I have hundereds of (we in fact generate session files using bash scripts which pull host info from our CMDB, to simplify creation/updating proces when new hosts appear). Expect_send seems to not be converted to unified format either

Is there no way to make two computers seem "the same" for xshell, when it enrypts password? That would resolve our issue completely.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 6:20 PM - Support

Re: Algorithm for saving key password in session file

Hi Gerard,

The fact that different computers cannot share the passwords of session files is actually a security feature of Xshell, as is the master password.

Unfortunately, reusing passwords without a master password is not possible within Xshell 5.

Re: Algorithm for saving key password in session file

I tried the solution described above (setting up master password) in order to share session files between two Windows 10 laptops.

The main ssh key password is shared - i am not asked to retype password for my 4096bit ssh private key. So the "Passphrase=" is indeed sharing the master password to encrypt original key

The ExpectSend_Send_1 however does not. On second laptop I see blank space in place where the option "Send:" is.

I do have option "Hide text" enabled here, so I guess this might be causing the issue. The algorithm for "Hide text" is not sharing the master password, like the "Passphrase" does.

Is there anything I can do to fix this behavior? As a reminder, I'm trying to use sessions on multiple laptops and the new "security" feature of Xshell 5 is preventing me to do so

Friday, January 22, 2016 2:48 AM - Support

Re: Algorithm for saving key password in session file

Currently, Xshell does not encrypt the hidden text of the Expect and Send rules with masterpassword. This has been brought to the attention of our developers and we will consider adding this capability.